1.5 MOA Lithgow......

[Son]

Home made? As a matter of fact is was "made from home". I got that piece of wood out of my loungeroom wall. Not joking- it used to be part of a wall untill I renovated a while back. When I looked for a dry, straight piece of hardwood, I picked it up and thought "well, it should be dry, it's been in that wall for almost 80 years". It dressed very nicely- good grain, no cracks. I cut the back out to take the bedding block, routed a clear barrel channel, a few other cuts to tidy it up and give the 'pod something to grip to and hey-presto- custom foreend.
As we say here in the scrub...."Like a bull's a$$ sewn up with barbed wire..... not real pretty, but very strong"
And as it cost nothing, looks offensive and works well- I'd say it meets all the criteria for the project!

[fat tony]

Hows the project going? Regards FT.

[Son]

I've got it looking finished, fat tony, but it may need a little more "tweeking" yet. I rushed the butt-job to have it ready for a 600m match a while ago.... it didn't turn out too bad but not quite right- you know what I mean? Wasn't quite competitive against a Tubb and several Tikka's- bugger! Don't know when I'll be able to give it the time it needs for finishing properly, but untill then it still looks offensive anyway....

thanks for asking,

[fat tony]

Son, it looks like you got a winner there. Best regards FT. Just looking at it makes me want to do this: (in a good way).

[ganderite]

In the 6os I worked for CIL ammunition, a division then of ICI. One of the rounds we loaded was 25-303 for export to Oz. I looked like real neat ammo. We were told it was for shooting kangaroos.

I have remembered that ammo and still hope to make a 6.5-303 one day out of one of my oldtarget rifle barrels. I have 30-303 made. have not yet got all the top wood installed, but is shoots very well. Used an old target barrel.

For beding rifles I like to use Devcon F Aluminum. I prefer aluminum because the stuff is sold by the pound and there is more in a can of aluminum than a can of F Steel.

[Son]

In the 6os I worked for CIL ammunition, a division then of ICI. One of the rounds we loaded was 25-303 for export to Oz. I looked like real neat ammo. We were told it was for shooting kangaroos.

I have remembered that ammo and still hope to make a 6.5-303 one day out of one of my oldtarget rifle barrels. I have 30-303 made. have not yet got all the top wood installed, but is shoots very well. Used an old target barrel.

For beding rifles I like to use Devcon F Aluminum. I prefer aluminum because the stuff is sold by the pound and there is more in a can of aluminum than a can of F Steel.

In it's first sporter configuration, my rifle took many 'roos, pigs and goats back when the shooting of them was doing farmers a favour. I was a little naive on the topic of re-loading and balistics back then, but I would describe .303/25 as a fairly flat shooting calibre, well suited for small to meduim game out to 200m or so. The 87gn projectiles I used were a little light for anything bigger. Now I would probably be inclined to sacrifice some of the speed for a little heavier pill. Some of the other popular "303 wildcats" were 303/22, 303/270, 303/243. I've even seen one necked up to 303/38.

[fat tony]

I don't believe I've ever seen one of the Lithgow heavy barreled SMLE's here in Canada, there are problably a few around, but I haven't seen them here in Nova Scotia, it's probably a situation where a lot of them have been used up, so they're not cheap when available in any kind of condition. I have got a 1918 RSAF smle I don't know what to do with it, it's in good condition metal wise but the woodwork makes it a bubba. Maybe I better squirrel it away for a rainy day, the bore is really good looking. Best regards Tony.